


Nerves

by invisible_aliens



Series: Carry On Countdown 2018 [12]
Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Embarrassment, Established Relationship, M/M, but they do also so books, to be honest this is less of a bookshop and more of a collection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 23:25:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16881264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/invisible_aliens/pseuds/invisible_aliens
Summary: Penny and Baz are excited to visit a famous magical bookshop.Simon is less enthusiastic.Post-Carry On.Written for the Carry On Countdown 2018, Day 12: In a Bookshop





	Nerves

**SIMON**

“And after lunch, there's a bookshop I really want to visit,” says Penny. 

Penny, Baz and I are sitting in a park, eating sandwiches at a small picnic bench on the grass. 

“We're on holiday!” I say. “Do we have to be all schooly?”

“Schooly?” protests Penny. “Most of the stuff in that shop they wouldn't dare teach us in school.”

“It's just… Couldn't we go swimming again?”

There's a beach just down from the park, and we spent the morning swimming. (And most of yesterday. And the day before that…) 

Baz groans. “Again? The weather's not even good today. I think it's about to rain, even.”

“You can go swimming in the rain! You're already wet from the seawater.”

“But it's cold. And Penny's right. It's meant to be the best collection of magical books in the world! Do you know how close the Mage was to destroying it? They had to move the location of the collection five times in three years!” 

I don't want to think about the Mage. (That I killed him.) 

I don't want to go and look at a collection of magical books I can't even use. 

But Penny and Baz are right. We have done a lot of swimming. (To be honest, I'm sick of swimming as well. But it's better than being a bookshop.) 

“Well, I'm pretty hungry. Maybe I'll buy another sandwich or two and stay here to eat it.”

Baz frowns at me. “Are you okay?” he asks. 

I shrug. “Just feeling lazy.”

“I'm sorry,” says Penny, “but the shop is too far away to leave you here.”

“Well maybe I can find a cafe near the bookshop?” 

Penny sighs. “Come on, let's go. We want plenty of time there before it closes!” 

She gets up to go to the car. I grab the remains of my last sandwich and follow her, Baz's arm finding its way around my waist. 

“I know you're not into going to the bookshop, but it's a chance we can't miss now that we're here.” 

It doesn't make me want to visit the shop any more than I did before. 

 

Baz and Penny chat excitedly the whole way to the shop. I spend it staring out the window, bored. The scenery isn't interesting enough to help lift my mood. 

 

The bookshop is in an indistinct shopping centre, between two enormous department stores. Unlike the department store, which open up up into the mall, the bookshop has a wall with a small door. Entrance by appointment only it says. 

“Are they… Going to let me in?” I ask. “Since I'm a… A Normal now. Now I can't… Do magic.”

“You're not a Normal,” insists Baz. “You've got a fucking tail.”

He glances over at me and when he sees my expression he adds, “and I wouldn't care, even if you were.”

He grabs my arm and pulls me to the door, which Penny is already knocking on. 

It opens a fraction, and an old man with wispy grey hair peers out. 

“Hello,” says Penny, her voice filling with excitement. “I rang earlier? I'm Penelope Bunce, and these are my friends, Baz Pitch and Simon Snow.”

His eyebrow flicks up in recognition at my name, but he doesn't comment. 

“Come in,” he says gruffly, and opens the door fully. We enter the shop.

 

 

**BAZ**

Simon hesitates before entering the shop. 

“It'll be good,” I say. “You know how much Penny's been looking forward to this.”

And to be honest, I've been looking forward to this as well. 

The bookshop is absolutely covered with books, all the way to the ceiling. The floor is dusty, but the books and shelves are well-maintained with obvious love and care. 

Penny runs her hand down row after row of books. 

“Wow,” she breathes. She pulls one out, trailing her hand over the cover and carefully opening it to see what's inside. 

“On that side,” the man points to the left half of the shop, “are our books we have digitally uploaded, and so you can buy copies of you wish.” 

I have to say, he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would know how to ‘digitally enter’ anything. (Someone must help him out.)

“And on this side,” he gestures to the other side of the shop, “are the books we can't sell as they are one of a kind.”

There are certainly more one of a kind books. I bet they don't have much money. (Or many visitors.) 

I spend some time looking through books of spells which are too old-fashioned to be of much use. Simon follows me around awkwardly.

“You don't have to stay with me,” I say. “You can go have a look yourself.” 

“But there isn't anything I want to look at,” he says. “I didn't want to come at all. I don't feel like a part of the magical world at all. And I'm worried my wings are going to knock some of the books. The owner keeps giving me weird looks.” 

I know he hates getting reminded of the magic he's lost, but I hadn't realised that coming here would make him feel so bad. 

“You don't like how being here makes you feel, do you.”

He nods, relief showing in his face as I finally understand. I take him by both arms and bring him towards me. 

“I'm sorry,” I say. “Why do you head over to the bakery across the mall? Their scones looked amazing. We'll come join you soon, and then after that we'll do something you're more interested in. What do you want to do?” 

He shrugs. (Please don't say swimming.)

“Maybe we could go for a walk in the nature reserve we drove past earlier?”

“Okay,” I say. “Sounds good. And I think Peny will enjoy that as well.” 

He leaves the shop as fast as he can without knocking anything down. 

Penny and I spend a bit longer appreciating the collection and both buy a few items before we thank the owner and join Simon in the cafe, where he's tucking in to yet another scone. (I have no idea how the hell he does it.) 

“How was it?” he asks, his mouth full of food. 

“It was good,” I say, “except when you were unhappily following me around. I'm sorry I didn't work out what was making you feel so uncomfortable.”

“You can tell us, you know,” says Penny. “We want you to be happy.” 

I nod in agreement. 

Simon smiles. “I'm sorry,” he says, “I was just feeling embarrassed. But you two are the best. Now, let's go on that walk.”

 


End file.
